The Master Lock
by DarkPoltergeist
Summary: Characters belong to R.A. Dick and Twentieth Century Fox – I have only borrowed them for a while. Martha sometimes finds out more than she would like to know about the Captain and Mrs. Muir – this is one of those times (some things are suggestive, but not graphic – rated mature just to be safe)


_Characters belong to R.A. Dick and Twentieth Century Fox – I have only borrowed them for a while._

_Martha sometimes finds out more than she would like to know about the Captain and Mrs. Muir – this is one of those times (some things are suggestive, but not graphic – rated mature just to be safe)_

**The Master Lock**

It had been a typical day for Martha, she got up early, and made sure the coffee was on the stove, sat by the table and drank a cup as she went over the newspaper from the day before. She had always been an early riser and enjoyed the quiet time before the Muir family was up.

She wasn't particularly surprised when the Captain showed up in the kitchen and bowed to her. Since he didn't sleep, and liked mornings, he found that he often enjoyed joining Martha for a cup of coffee. Sometimes they chatted about things happening with the family, and other times just sat in a comfortable silence.

"Good morning, Captain," she said.

"Martha. And how are you this fine morning?"

"As fine as can be expected."

"Good. Any plans for the day?" he asked.

"The usual. Get the kids to school, go shopping, get dinner ready and probably go out with Ed."

"And how is your affair with Mr. Peavey progressing?" the Captain asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Just fine." She paused and gave the Captain a steady look. "And how is your affair with Mrs. Muir going?

He gave her a long look. "Point taken, Martha. I should mind my own business."

"I'm glad you understand that, but really, Captain, how are things with you two?" She offered him a rare smile. "Now that you can touch I'm sure your relationship has improved?"

"Very well, I will satisfy a small amount of your curiosity." He paused and allowed himself to smile as he looked at her. 'I believe it is going quite well."

"Why Captain, you look happy, really happy. It looks good on you."

"Thank you."

"And Mrs. Muir?"

"Mrs. Muir, Carolyn, I believe she is happy too." He sighed and Martha thought he looked like a man in love. "At least that's what she tells me."

"Now that you mention it, she has been in a wonderful mood lately." She gave him a sly look. "And did you put that smile on her face?"

The Captain reddened slightly.

"Just how good are you at being corporeal?" she raised her eyebrow again.

"Martha! Such conversation is not to be shared between us; it is only to be discussed in private between Carolyn and myself." He said in indignation.

"Oh, relax, Captain. Honestly! I don't need a blow by blow description of what you may or may not do."

"Your phrasing leaves something to be desired," he growled.

"My phrasing?" She paused and thought about what she had just said, and then covered her mouth and laughed. "Oh my goodness. I never thought about what I said, she laughed harder. "Blow by blow."

The Captain tried to remain offended, but in truth, he found in funny as well and within moments was laughing with Martha.

The rest of the day progressed much as Martha had predicted. She made sure the kids got on the bus for school, made sure Mrs. Muir was set for her day writing at home, and left for town where she had various errands to run for the family. When she returned to Gull Cottage around lunch time she heard cursing and a sudden slamming of an upstairs door.

"Mrs. Muir?" she called. "Is something wrong?" she set the bags down and made her way up the stairs. "Mrs. Muir?"

"Oh, Martha, there you are." Carolyn Muir was on her hands and knees working on the door latch to the master suite.

"Why the cursing?" Martha asked.

"Blasted lock seems broken and I don't seem to be able to fix it." She frowned.

"I know that it's inconvenient, but…"

"I want my privacy," Carolyn said. "I don't want the children bursting in on us…me…" she corrected and felt a blush creeping up her face. "The door needs to be fixed so it can be locked again," she said in a calmer voice.

"Then call Claymore, or a locksmith, or go to the hardware store and get a lock."

"All good suggestions," she said before turning a pair of pleading green eyes on Martha. "Martha, please? Can you go back into town and pick up a new lock at the hardware store?"

"But you don't know how to replace a lock, do you? I sure don't."

"No, not really," Carolyn shrugged helplessly. "Maybe you could find someone to do that too?"

"Martha to the rescue again." She sighed. "Do you want me to arrange for the kids to stay at Mrs. Coburn's until dinner time? We could even push it out a bit, maybe that would give a locksmith enough time to get out and back before dinner?"

"Umm, no, if you could go into town yet today and make the arrangements for it to be put in tomorrow? That would probably work best."

"Why wait until tomorrow when it could be fixed today? That would ensure your privacy much more quickly."

"Not today, Martha. I have some…writing that I need to finish," Carolyn nodded. "Yes, writing, that's it."

"Oh, the Captain is telling you stories again? You're working on another book?" Martha brightened. "The first one turned out so well I'm sure you'd have another best seller."

"Do you really think so?" Carolyn brightened. "The first one was wonderful. I do so like working with him."

"I just bet you do," Martha muttered under her breath. "Are you sure I can't I just do all of this tomorrow?"

"No, it needs to be today, this afternoon. Please, Martha!" Carolyn pleaded, turning a desperate gaze on Martha.

"All right, I'll go as soon as I unload the groceries, and then I'll go back into town. It will probably be a couple of hours before I can get back here. Will that suffice?" Martha said with a sigh, and wondered why it was so important that this errand be done right now.

"Yes, that would be very helpful." Carolyn gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you, Martha." She stood up and stretched. "Well, back to it," she said and watched as Martha shrugged, turned away and made her way down the stairs. After she was sure Martha was in the kitchen, she entered her bedroom, shutting the door behind her and faced Captain Gregg.

"Well?" he asked a pleasant smile on his face.

"She'll be gone in a bit, and we can get the lock fixed tomorrow."

"Splendid." He stood across the room from her and she couldn't help but think how handsome he looked. "Are you ready to get back to our writing?" he asked, but Carolyn saw the way he looked at her.

"Captain?" She walked across the room and laid her hand on his arm, gently running her hand over it. "I don't think I really feel like writing right now."

"No, then what do you feel like doing?" the desire in his blue eyes was obvious, and he leaned forward to nuzzle her neck, his beard tickled her and she giggled.

"Laughter?" he demanded in mock indignation.

"Your beard tickles," Carolyn said.

"Well in that case perhaps we should forget about this and return to writing," he began to pull away, but Carolyn pulled her back to him, and pressed herself against him, pulling his head down for a long, passionate kiss.

"So you do have another plan?" his blue eyes twinkled with merriment as she whispered in his ear. He looked startled at her suggestion.

"Madame, Carolyn, really? You wish to do that? Do you think we really have time?" he studied her with interest.

"Why not? We're having a late supper, the kids are gone until then, and soon Martha will be out for the rest of the afternoon." She smiled seductively. "And I've always wanted to be saved by a strong handsome sea Captain."

"Well, when you put it like that," he laughed and rubbed his beard against her face just to irritate her. "You get ready and I'll be back as soon as Martha leaves."

"I can hardly wait," she breathed.

She was enough to make a man's blood boil, he thought, remembering the look she had given him as he departed. He thought about her request and smiled. She wanted him to rescue her from being ravished by his unruly crew so that she could properly thank him, and he was sure she was going to remove more than his boots. Yes, this was going to be a most worthy adventure!

Blast! Martha thought as she pulled up just outside of Gull Cottage half an hour later. She should have remembered that she needed to measure the depth of the door frame before the right type of lock could be purchased, and the door was so old she really wasn't sure how well it would tolerate the modern locks, but the locksmith insisted that he needed this information before he could come out to Gull Cottage so Martha had returned so that she could complete her delegated task.

The locking tape measure was in the kitchen so she picked it up and made her way upstairs so that she could measure the door. Knowing that she had left her friend studiously at work at her desk in the middle of the afternoon, Martha didn't think twice when she rapped a courtesy knock and then pushed open the door to the Master Cabin.

The sight that greeted her would forever be seared into her memory.

The Captain was holding Carolyn in his arms, buck naked except for the sword at his side, belt across his waist. Carolyn was in an equal state of undress, a rose in her teeth, and the Captain's hat perched precariously on her head as she was cradled, naked, against his chest.

The three looked at each other in shock.

The Captain tried to clear his throat, but he was unable to say anything, and he wasn't in a position to dematerialize.

"Martha," Carolyn squeaked at last, her entire body turning a lovely shade of crimson. "We didn't expect you back so soon."

"Obviously." Gathering her wits about her, Martha smiled at the two of them, and then looked at the Captain.

"Nice sword, Captain," she said with as bland of an expression as she could manage.

"Sword?" His brow wrinkled in confusion for a moment realizing that her reference could be to either the sword that hung at this side or a particular part of his anatomy. As Carolyn giggled into his chest, he turned away from Martha.

"What's that for?" Carolyn laughed harder, seeing the measuring tape in Martha's hand.

"Madame!" she could feel his shock at her suggestion.

Still, Martha remained unflappable as she eyed the two of them. "The locksmith needed the door measured so I came back to do that. Now that I understand the necessity I think I'll call and get them out here yet today." She glanced at the Captain and raised an eyebrow. "Is there something else I should be measuring?"

He scowled at her but said nothing, now turned away from her but displayed a well muscled posterior to Martha's appreciative eyes. She gave his backside an appraising look and saw Carolyn silently laughing at her. Martha nodded her approval and Carolyn held tighter to her Captain.

"Martha, could you please leave?" Carolyn suggested, laughter in her voice. "You're ruining the moment."

"That's probably a good idea; unfortunately I think this is forever seared into my brain." She winked at the Captain. "Nice corporeal, by the way. Glad to know you have working parts."

"Martha!" he blustered and Carolyn once again giggled against his chest.

"I'll be on my way and leave you two to…whatever it was that you were doing." She stopped on her way out and turned to look at them one more time. "Next time I ask for a raise remember this …incident." She paused. "Dinner will be served at six. I trust you will be finished by then?" She smiled as the two heads nodded.

"Good. And tomorrow we really will get that blasted lock fixed. God knows I don't want to know what you two do in your down time." Then Martha closed the door behind her, went down to the kitchen and had the best laugh she had experienced in ages. Oh, what she wouldn't have done for a camera! Somehow she didn't think the Captain would be willing to laugh this off over coffee the next morning. Wiping a tear away, she only laughed harder. She was happy for the two of them but really! No wonder Carolyn was insisting that the lock be fixed.

She got her jacket and left for a walk knowing that the ghost and his lady would hear her leave and no doubt feel less inhibited about completing their afternoon adventure. She rubbed her hands together in glee, holding this over their heads was going to be fun.

"Well, she was bound to find out sooner or later," Carolyn tried to soothe Daniel as they lie together in bed.

"I'm sure she knew by now that we were…are a couple...but knowing and seeing what she saw…" his voice was dismayed.

"She didn't really see anything?" Carolyn tried to suggest.

"Madame!" He was insulted. "I beg to differ."

"Maybe she saw too much?" she queried and gently stroked his face.

"Are you mad?" Daniel propped himself up on his elbow and looked at the woman that shared his bed. "She caught us acting out a….a"

"Fantasy?" Carolyn suggested helpfully.

"Yes, that. And we were naked!" he was still appalled.

"Yes, well, we didn't expect her back, did we?"

"Obviously not." He lied down next to her and pulled her into his arms again. "It's just not right," he groused.

"Well, right or not, it did happen. Now we just have to live with it."

"Will she hold it over our heads?" He began to kiss her again.

"Yes, I'm afraid so." She sighed. "Can we just forget about it for now and concentrate on something else."

"What did you have in mind?" he voice whispered in her ear.

"You know exactly what I have in mind," she tickled his thigh and heard his intake of breath. "Time to unsheathe your sword," she said, "and put it to use."

"Aye, I can do that," he murmured, moving over her. "Allow the Captain to thank his lady love by exhibiting his expert swordplay."

"Expert?" she raised an eyebrow as he joined with her. "Oh, Daniel," she sighed and closed her eyes.

'Expert," he said, and proceeded to love her with his every word and movement.


End file.
